Letter to the Editor: Antics of school officials disturbing

As a former teacher in the parish, I am disgusted by the antics and actions of the Lafayette Parish School Board through the leadership of the board chair and superintendent. These individuals are selected and elected to lead our schools - one through policy and the other through direct supervision. Their behavior has indicated that they are more interested in selling our schools to charters, rather than supporting the teachers they manage.

Our school board denied several charter school applications; however, Superintendent Pat Cooper undermined their decision by testifying on behalf of these charter schools. This is rank insubordination. This is not the first time this superintendent subverts the authority of the board.

The superintendent should recognize his role as a subordinate to the majority decision of the board; however, he has been given a ticket to be willfully insubordinate because of the inaction of the minority.

The board chair's votes indicate an inability to follow the will of his electors. It seems that he does not recognize the disproportionate representation of African-American males in the central office. He has sold out his community by his inability to recognize a need for new leadership in the superintendent's chair. Shame on the board members that buy the nonsense that the superintendent is selling!

Pat Cooper has violated board policies, yet board members, most specifically the chair, have turned a blind eye to these improprieties.

There is much talk about voters taking action during the election. It is my hope the voters oust Shelton Cobb in an effort to bring their voice back to the boardroom. This will give the board the votes it needs to oust Cooper and bring in a visionary.

I hope that the board gives Katie Landry the opportunity to clean up the mess and destruction brought by Pat Cooper and his unprofessional deputy, Sandra Billeaudeau.

Jamal Taylor

Lafayette

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Letter to the Editor: Antics of school officials disturbing

As a former teacher in the parish, I am disgusted by the antics and actions of the Lafayette Parish School Board through the leadership of the board chair and superintendent.